Shirin Ebadi is an Iranian lawyer and human rights activist. She has been awarded several honorary doctorates and awards including the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize for her works for promoting democracy and human rights – particularly women and children’s rights.
Ebadi was the first female judge in the history of Iran. In 1975, she became the President of Bench 24 of Tehran City Court. After the victory of the Islamic Revolution, she and her female colleagues were dismissed from their posts by conservative clergies. However, she was given a clerical post and then worked as an expert in the Justice Department.
Due to her inadequate working conditions, she requested early retirement and applied for a lawyer’s license to practice law. In 1993, she obtained a law office permit to set up her own practice and has since practiced law. Also, Ebadi has published several books and academic articles on law, women’s rights, children’s rights and democracy.
After receiving the Nobel Prize, she continued giving speeches, attending conferences and lectures, and continued to defend the rights of women, minority groups, and victims of serial killings inside and outside of her country. She created the Nobel Women’s Initiative for promoting peace and women’s rights.
Ebadi has received death threats from the Iranian government in 2008, and since then she has lived in the UK. She continues her activities in promoting human rights across the world. Currently she is a member of PeaceJam.
Ebadi was born in 1947, in Hamadan, Iran. She completed her studies in Law at the University of Tehran in 1969. She completed her doctoral degree at the same university in 1971.